The use of computers within the healthcare industry is becoming common practice. Computer systems are now being used throughout the healthcare industry for a number of different purposes. Some computer operating systems include a graphical user interface (GUI), described generally as a graphical operating system, which displays various information to the user as a combination of pictures and text that the user can manipulate. Generally, some graphical operating systems instigate an instance of a software application by displaying the various text, graphics and features of the application within a rectangular window on the visual display. Increasingly, information is displayed to healthcare providers on these visual displays, or graphical user interfaces. These displays are typically monitors associated with a computer or computer network.
One drawback in the use of these displays is the limited amount of available screen space. The available screen space is often referred to as “screen real estate.” This screen real estate is valuable and must be put to good use. In other words, it is desirable to efficiently and effectively use the screen real estate. The display of information must be viewable from a reasonable distance, must place the information in a proper context (e.g. identify the information with the respective patient in some way) and present a sufficient amount of information within a single screen. The last consideration is sometimes referred to as a dense patient view. One method of placing the information in the proper context is to display the patient name or other identifier in a field on the screen, along with the relevant patient data.
One drawback in this method is the use of valuable screen real estate in the display of the patient name or identifier. Another drawback of this method relates to the different settings in which the information is viewed and used. The display of patient information can occur in many different settings. For example, the display may be in a publicly-viewable area or in a more secured area, such as an operating room. The display of patient information in a publicly-viewable area presents the challenge of displaying meaningful patient data, in context, without divulging personal information of the patient. If the patient name is displayed along with the patient data, this goal is not achieved.
Accordingly, there is a need for a more efficient system and method for utilizing screen real estate to display patient information in context. There is also a need for a system and method for displaying patient information in a publicly viewable area in a manner that places the information in context and simultaneously protects the privacy interests of the patient.